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The United States government announced that it has completed 15 consecutive months without releasing any undocumented immigrants into the country, citing over 3 million deportations alongside a series of tightened visa and citizenship regulations.

According to an official fact sheet released by the Department of State, the measures form part of a broader framework aimed at prioritizing American citizens and overhauling federal immigration enforcement following record-breaking border crossings under the previous administration:

“President Trump has delivered on his promise to fix the immigration system, prioritize American citizens, and protect U.S. citizenship. The border is sealed. The results are undeniable.”

Official figures indicate that more than 3 million foreign nationals have been deported, including thousands of individuals convicted of violent offenses. Alongside border enforcement, federal authorities launched an unprecedented denaturalization campaign targeting individuals accused of obtaining citizenship through fraudulent means, with legal claims already filed against 88 individuals.

The policy shift also extends to social welfare, election integrity, and international travel. Federal agencies terminated public assistance benefits for over 1.4 million ineligible individuals, barred non-citizens from more than a dozen taxpayer-funded healthcare programs, and paused visa processing for 75 high-risk nations.

Furthermore, the administration initiated measures to remove tens of thousands of non-citizens from state voter rolls while introducing a revised naturalization exam designed to evaluate applicants’ understanding of American history and government institutions.

Highlighting the continuation of strict enforcement measures initiated via executive order early in the presidential term, officials underscored the operational shift:

“For 15 straight months, no illegal aliens have been released into the country.”

The broader policy push carries significant international implications, particularly in nations with high visa volumes. The U.S. Mission has issued repeated advisories urging visa applicants and holders to adhere strictly to immigration rules, warning that violations, including overstays, fraudulent claims, or criminal conduct—will result in immediate visa revocation and deportation.

With immigration remaining a central focal point ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, the administration continues to position its hardline enforcement strategy as a necessary restoration of national security, legal order, and fiscal discipline

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At least 224 people have been killed after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia, with rescue teams continuing to search collapsed buildings for survivors on Tuesday.

The earthquake struck at 7:34 am local time on Monday, with Cali, Pereira and parts of the Choco region among the worst affected areas.

Authorities warned that the death toll could rise as emergency teams reach more affected communities and assess the extent of the destruction.

Cali authorities reported 35 deaths, while officials in the Risaralda region, where Pereira is located, confirmed at least 40 deaths. Nine people were also reported killed in Choco, two in Caldas and one in Antioquia.

At least 700 people were injured in Valle del Cauca alone, according to President Abelardo de la Espriella, who declared a national state of emergency and said the government’s priority was to rescue people trapped under rubble.

More than 1,600 buildings were reportedly damaged or destroyed, including parts of a historic cathedral in Manizales.

Several upper floors of a hospital in Cali also collapsed, trapping some patients and forcing about 600 others to receive treatment outside amid the debris.

Rescue operations continued overnight and into Tuesday, with soldiers, firefighters, emergency workers, volunteers and relatives searching through collapsed buildings.

In Cali, volunteers formed human chains to remove concrete and other debris by hand, while rescue teams repeatedly stopped to listen for survivors.

Firefighters rescued two women and two children from a collapsed building, while rescuers in Pereira were reportedly in contact with a boy trapped beneath a bakery as cranes were used to remove unstable sections of the building.

Authorities have also deployed engineers, rescue workers and search dogs to Choco, where the scale of the destruction remains unclear because many communities are remote and difficult to reach.

The United States Geological Survey identified San Jose del Palmar, a community of about 4,800 people, as the epicentre. The area is about 400km west of the capital, Bogota.

Colombia’s Geological Service reported 21 aftershocks by late Monday and warned that further tremors were possible.

The rescue effort has been complicated by the geography of Choco, where some communities can only be reached by boat or aircraft.

The government has also imposed nighttime curfews in Cali, Armenia and Manizales, while hospitals in five cities were placed on red alert.

Operations at airports in Pereira, Manizales, Quibdo, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura were suspended temporarily to allow structural inspections.

Authorities postponed the Petronio Alvarez Music Festival in Cali, which was scheduled to begin on Wednesday, as well as professional football matches.

International assistance has also begun. The United States announced $15.5m in emergency aid for shelters, food and other relief, while the European Union activated its Copernicus satellite service to support rescue operations.

El Salvador and Mexico also offered to provide rescue teams, medical personnel, supplies and other assistance.

Rescuers are expected to face a critical window in the coming hours as they continue searching for people trapped beneath the rubble.

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United States President Donald Trump secretly switched aircraft after leaving a NATO summit in Turkey last month amid a reported Iranian threat to target his plane, according to the BBC.

The elaborate security operation reportedly involved Trump being moved from Air Force One to a smaller military aircraft using a catering truck, while journalists and some White House staff travelling with him were unaware of the switch.

US officials told CBS News that American intelligence had detected a credible Iranian threat to fire a missile at the aircraft.

The White House has not directly confirmed that the secret plane switch was carried out because of an Iranian missile threat.

Trump had earlier warned during the summit in Ankara that he was Iran’s “number one target”.

The reported operation took place on 8 July, a day after the US resumed military strikes against Iran following the collapse of negotiations between Washington and Tehran.

Trump had arrived in Turkey aboard a newer Boeing 747-8 aircraft donated by Qatar. However, he announced that he would leave Turkey aboard the older Air Force One “for old time’s sake”.

Footage showed Trump boarding the presidential aircraft at Ankara airport. However, according to a report by the Washington Post cited by the BBC, he was later secretly transferred to a C-32A military aircraft, a modified Boeing 757 commonly used by the vice-president.

The transfer was reportedly carried out using a catering truck that had been raised to the level of the aircraft on the opposite side of the plane from where Trump had initially boarded.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly boarded the C-32A separately using external stairs, helping make the operation appear routine.

Meanwhile, journalists and some White House staff boarded Air Force One and were instructed to keep the aircraft’s window shades closed. They reportedly did not know that Trump was no longer on board.

Trump flew aboard the C-32A to the UK before returning to the older Air Force One. He was later seen leaving the aircraft after it landed at RAF Mildenhall.

It remains unclear how Trump was transferred back to the older presidential aircraft.

He subsequently boarded the Qatar-donated Boeing 747-8 for the final leg of his journey to Washington.

During that flight, Trump spoke to reporters about the security threat but did not reveal details of the earlier aircraft switch.

When asked why reporters had been instructed to lower the window shades during the flight from Turkey, Trump said they were “probably on a dangerous flight” because of threats he faced.

He also said he faced a threat “all the time” and described himself as “number one” on Iran’s list.

US intelligence had previously warned of a specific threat against Trump or his aircraft, according to earlier CBS News reporting.

The New York Times had also reported concerns about the security of the Qatar-donated aircraft, including claims that the Secret Service had urged Trump to switch planes after the NATO summit.

The reports come amid wider scrutiny of the $400m Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar. The aircraft is undergoing modifications to prepare it for presidential use.

Older Air Force One aircraft are equipped with advanced defensive systems, including technology designed to counter incoming missiles. It remains unclear what comparable systems are currently installed on the Qatar-donated aircraft.

White House communications director Steven Cheung did not directly confirm or deny the reported plane switch. He said the new aircraft was equipped with advanced security measures to protect the president and his staff.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also said the new Air Force One was “perfectly safe” for the president’s travels, while noting that additional upgrades were planned.